NOTE: The "Chaucer" group will tackle these questions for Monday.
Answer TWO of the
following...
Q1: Since this is yet
another tale about marriage and the nature of women, what side does the
Merchant take? How is he consciously responding to the Wife of Bath—whom he
actually refers to in his tale—and does he champion her views on female power?
Q2: Does the Merchant
present the character of January an idealized portrait, or a satirical one? How
do we know? How do other characters respond to him in the tale, and where does
the Merchant artfully insert himself into the story?
Q3: What did you make of
the inclusion of Pluto and Proserpine in the story? How do they comment on the
action of the tale, and perhaps change how we read/understand it? Consider in
particular Proserpine’s speech on page 384: “What do I care for your
authorities?”
Q4: In many ways, “The
Merchant’s Tale” sounds like “The Miller’s Tale” if it had been told by the
Knight. How are we supposed to take it: as a comedy about women triumphing over
men, or a stern Medieval “warning against marriage” treatise? In other words,
does the Merchant want us to applaud May or sympathize with January?
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